This study aimed to explore athletes’ experiences of transitioning out of sport following spinal cord injury (SCI). Using a multiple-case study design, three former nondisabled competitive athletes participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The participants’ interview responses were informed by quantitative measure data collected prior to the interviews using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, the Social Support Questionnaire-6, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that participants experienced a range of cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral influences during the transition process. These influences contributed to outcome-related appraisals of post-SCI transition. Balanced self-identity, adaptive sport participation, and peer-mentor relationships were common factors influencing athletes’ transition with spinal cord injury. The results partially support the conceptual model of adaptation to career transition and extend it to account for athletes’ experiences following SCI. The results also benefit rehabilitation professionals and athletes with spinal cord injury by providing insight into psychosocial factors and resources that may influence the transition experience.

In the current study pregame speech is defined as communication used by coaches prior to competition that can be characterized by four factors: one general factor (pregame speech) and three grouping factors (tactical content, emotional content, and delivery). The Coach Precompetitive Communication Questionnaire-Helpfulness (CPCQ-H) was developed to assess the extent to which collegiate athletes find the four factors of pregame speech helpful. The purpose of this study was to investigate initial evidence of validity for the responses to the CPCQ-H under an exploratory bifactor approach specifically to explore the existence of one general factor and three grouping factors measured by CPCQ-H items. Participants were 269 NCAA student-athletes involved in interactive team sports who were asked to complete a cross-sectional survey. The survey included a demographic questionnaire and the CPCQ-H. Results of an exploratory bifactor analysis found evidence to support the retention of a four-factor model, with a general factor of pregame speech and three grouping factors. Observed responses indicated meaningful factor loadings (e.g., lambda >= .30, p < .05), providing evidence for the validity of CPCQ-H responses. The findings of this study contribute to the psychometric and practical understanding of pregame speech.

Introduction:Previous measures of athlete perception of pregame speech have centered around a two-dimensional structure of speech content (i.e., tactical and emotional), although psychometric evidence is limited. The Coach Precompetitive Communication Questionnaire - Preference (CPCQ-P) was developed to extend the two-dimensional model of pregame speech content by (a) including speech delivery and (b) allowing a general pregame speech factor. The purpose of this study was to investigate initial validity evidence for responses to the CPCQ-P under an exploratory bifactor approach at the athlete level. Methods:Participants were athletes (N = 264) at level-1 nested within NCAA varsity level teams (G = 36) at level-2. Participant survey responses were analyzed using an exploratory bifactor analysis with a general factor (i.e., pregame speech) and three grouping factors (i.e., tactical content, emotional content, delivery). Results:A four-factor model with three grouping factors and a general factor exhibited approximate to close fit to the data. Review of factor loadings provided initial evidence of validity for the internal structure of responses to the CPCQ-P. Discussion:This study expands the existing psychometric understanding of pregame speech within the collegiate sport context.

Frameworks that illustrate the comprehensive process of mental training have provided a "big picture" of the provision of applied sport psychology services. The purpose of this article is to propose an updated framework for mental training in sport. The revised framework includes four categories of mental skills including personal foundation, performance, personal development, and team skills. Mental health, as represented by emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, is also included in the framework as a major focus for applied work by mental performance consultants, not just clinical mental health providers. The flow of the framework suggests that the consultant's philosophy and skills in using various models, strategies, and techniques, coupled with athlete commitment, can enhance athletes' mental skills and mental health to enhance performance and other significant outcomes. Suggestions for future work in mental training in sport include research examining the role of mental health in mental skills development, implementation of mental health enhancement programs, periodized approaches to sport psychology service delivery, and a renewed focus on intentionality in athletes to build mental skillfulness over time and situations for an adaptive, agile mindset.Lay summary: Mental training is a process in which athletes, usually with the help of consultants or coaches, systematically use strategies and techniques to build mental skills and wellbeing to enhance their performance, development, and experiences in sport. Enhancing mental health in athletes is an important objective for mental performance consultants. Consultants base their service delivery on a foundational philosophy and model of practice, from which they utilize and integrate various mental training strategies and techniques.Mental skills are learnable psychological capabilities that facilitate individuals' success in life pursuits.Mental health focuses on athletes' wellbeing and how much they are flourishing; it is not merely the presence or absence of mental illness.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to offer background and strategies to utilize mental imagery to enhance acceptance as a significant foundation for mental health and wellbeing in athletes. Sport possesses many threats to participants’ mental health and ability to flourish, including unrealistic expectations, pressure from others, and training demands. Although acceptance has been shown to be an important precursor to wellbeing, the prescribed culture of mental toughness in sport teaches athletes to be nonaccepting of mistakes and negative outcomes which often threaten their mental health. Athletes need to be educated and trained to practice acceptance as a strong, mature, mentally healthy response in terms of their self-perceptions, perceptions of others, and responses to external events. Mental imagery has a strong association with emotion and has been successfully used as an intervention technique to enhance physical and mental health. However, acceptance has not been an outcome of interest in most imagery interventions related to mental health, and future research on interventions to enhance acceptance is warranted. Some strategies and examples of using mental imagery to build acceptance and wellbeing are suggested.

The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the mediating role of self-compassion on the relation between goal orientation and sport-confidence, as well as exploring whether these factors differed between male and female student -athletes. To that end, a total of 418 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes (M=20.19, SD =1.30) completed the Self-Compassion Scale (athlete version), the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, and the Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory. Structural equation models suggest that task orientation has both a direct effect on sport-confidence and an indirect one through self-compassion. Furthermore, while there was no direct effect between ego orientation and sport-confidence, the results indicated an indirect effect through self-compassion. Moreover, a multigroup analysis indicated that the paths in the mediation model were moderated by gender. Based on these findings, it is recommended that coaches, sport psychologists, and other practitioners consider self-compassion training to enhance confidence among both ego-oriented and female athletes.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between perfectionism, motivation, burnout, and coaching satisfaction in high school and collegiate coaches (n = 311). Coaches completed the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and an investigator-designed survey to assess satisfaction. As predicted, perfectionism was related to both motivation and burnout. In particular, socially-prescribed perfectionism emerged as the most significant type of perfectionism, showing positive relationships with controlled forms of motivation and burnout and negative relationships with autonomous forms of motivation and feelings of personal accomplishment. Self-oriented perfectionism was related to motivation, but not directly related to burnout, and other-oriented perfectionism was not significantly related to motivation or burnout. Autonomous motivation was strongly associated with coaches' satisfaction. The influence of socially-prescribed perfectionism on coaches is discussed in relation to the high expectations placed on coaches by programs and communities, perhaps contributing to feelings of low autonomy and external regulation. Controlling forms of social expectations and external regulation may act as a "slippery slope" in which the initial motivation of coaches may move toward burnout.

The purpose of the present investigation was to investigate what being a mentally tough coach means to NCAA Division I collegiate coaches who see themselves as, or becoming, mentally tough coaches. Twelve coaches were recruited who met the criteria concerning years coaching, winning percentage, and years with the same team. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the main question being "what does it mean to be a mentally tough coach in NCAA Division I (DI) collegiate sport today." Results revealed the themes ofEmotional Regulation and Endurance, embracing a particularPhilosophy/Way of Thinking, and exhibiting certainBehaviors/Actions. These three themes of coach mental toughness were situated in and interacted with theContexts of DI Collegiate Sport.In addition, these components of coach mental toughness wereDeveloped Over TimeandRequired Balanceacross many areas. In relation to the extant coaching literature, these results suggest that study participants felt that coach mental toughness means productive self-management and modeling, and leadership within inherently inequitable and highly stressful and scrutinized contexts. Future directions for research include more ethnographic and case studies for more in-depth responses as well as including how cultural values may influence the conceptualization of a mentally tough coach. Lay summary:Results from interviews revealed that common themes for mentally tough NCAA Division I coaches includedEmotional Regulation and Endurance, embracing a particularPhilosophy/Way of Thinking, and exhibiting certainBehaviors/Actions. These components of coach mental toughness wereDeveloped Over TimeandRequired Balancebetween being coaches, being educators and focusing on athlete development.Implications for Practice NCAA Division I coaches have to pursue high performance and winning to keep their jobs but also need to balance this with being educators and focusing on athlete development and well-being. Emotional regulation and self-control are key aspects of mental toughness in NCAA Division I coaches, and thus coaches need to develop these psychological skills to complement their other coaching skills (e.g., strategy, instruction). Having a consistent philosophy or way of thinking serves as a foundation for being a mentally tough NCAA Division I coach, including consistency in expectations, setting high standards, being committed to student-athlete development, adopting a growth mindset of professional (coach) development, and being genuine and optimally demanding.

Objectives: This study examined parents' perceptions of sport specialization within the sampling years of the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) (and, 1999). Specifically, this study explored if and how parents' perceptions of sport specialization vary as a function of their own levels of perfectionism and self-reported parenting style. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Method: Self-report questionnaires were administered to 203 parents of youth sport athletes (ages 6-12) from a range of sports. These questionnaires assessed parents' perceptions of sport specialization as well as their own levels of perfectionism and parenting style. Results: Cluster analytic procedures resulted in the identification of four groups of parents who varied from each other in parenting style (permissive, authoritarian, authoritative) and perfectionism (self oriented, socially prescribed, other oriented). MANOVA procedures used to compare the four cluster groups on their perceptions of sport specialization revealed that parents who were in the high permissive and high socially prescribed perfectionism cluster as well as the high authoritarian and high overall perfectionism cluster reported greater support of sport specialization when compared to participants in the high authoritative, moderate self-oriented perfectionism cluster. Conclusion: Overall, study findings provided support for the idea that parents' perceptions of sport specialization are influenced by their parenting style and personal levels and types of perfectionism.

The purpose of this study was to examine the types and perceived usefulness of questionnaires used by consultants in applied intervention work with athletes in 2003 and 2017, as well as to understand consultants’ perceptions of the advantages, limitations, and needs regarding the use of questionnaires in consulting. Sport psychology consultants in 2003 (n = 96) and 2017 (n = 106) completed a questionnaire that included Likert-scale questions as well as open-ended questions. The percentage of consultants who used questionnaires decreased from 83% in 2003 to 67% in 2017. Consultants in 2003 rated questionnaires as more useful than consultants in 2017, although the specific questionnaires used by consultants did not change extensively over the 14-year period. Advantages in using questionnaires included efficiency, structure of assessment, consensual validation, and credibility, while limitations included lack of relevance, undermining of athlete-consultant relationship, interpretive problems, and cost and lack of access.

In this commentary, we respond to Scherzer and Reel’s concerns over the Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC®) certification program requirements, particularly the certification exam. A reframing is suggested, in which the exam and recertification requirements are viewed as exciting historical milestones and an opportunity for individual professional growth as opposed to a personal inconvenience. In addition, some historical context and rationale for specific aspects of the CMPC certification program are provided, including the rationale for the CMPC credential.

The purpose of this article is to describe a periodized, or temporally phased, approach to building confidence in athletes. A periodization approach to building confidence involves helping athletes move through the sequential phases of developmental, preparatory, and performance confidence that lead into Execution Mode just prior to and during the competitive event. An evaluation phase after the event is then integrated into the process of developmental confidence to continue the periodization cycle. Examples of the focus needed and specific activities that could be used in each confidence-building phase are provided.

Confidence is a well-known psychological quality that is relevant for performing at one’s best. Previous literature examined sources from which athletes derive their confidence, what behaviors coaches perceive to be the most effective at building confidence, and the level of congruence between athletes’ and coaches’ perceptions on confidence-building techniques. However, research has rarely asked athletes what they believe are the most important behaviors coaches can do to build confidence in both individuals and teams. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore athletes’ perceptions of what coaches can do to build confidence from the perspective of athletes. Collegiate student-athletes ( n = 264) completed two open-ended questions regarding specific behaviors that coaches do to build confidence in athletes and teams. A total of 649 interpretable meaning units were analyzed into 13 lower-order themes and 5 higher-order categories. Results revealed that creating a nurturing positive environment, responding to athletes productively, developing effective practices for training, developing interpersonal relationships with athletes, and possessing effective intrapersonal qualities themselves are all behaviors identified as important for building confidence. Many of the behaviors were common to building confidence in both athletes and teams, though there were confidence-building behaviors unique to either group.

Background The purpose of the study was to validate and adapt the Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory (TSCI-PL) for use in Poland. Robin Vealey created the original tool (TSCI), which consisted of 13 self-assessment items. The phases of the adaptation procedures are described in this paper. Material/Methods 353 amateur and professional Polish athletes took part in the study. The participants filled in the TSCI-PL, SSCQ-PL and MSEI questionnaires as well as a short demographic survey. Results Reliability of the TSCI-PL as well as the discriminatory power of the items turned out to be high. The internal validity of the TSCI-PL was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis, as a single factor model of TSCI-PL was well matched to the data. The criterion validity of the TSCI-PL was confirmed, based on numerous correlations with SSCQ-PL and MSEI scales. Moreover, no significant correlation or difference regarding age and gender has been noted. Conclusions Results confirmed satisfactory psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of TSCI-PL. Therefore, the tool is ready for use among Polish sport psychologists.